This invention relates to a paintball feed system. More particularly, but not exclusively it relates to a paintball feed system that is arranged to allow a paintball to pass into a breech of a paintball marker and is arranged to prevent the passage of the paintball out of the breech of the marker.
Referring to FIG. 1, it is currently known to feed a paintball (1) into a breech (2) of a paintball marker (3) from a hopper (4) under gravity. This arrangement has the inherent problem that, should the marker (3) be tilted out of a horizontal plane or jolted, the paintball (1) in the breech (2) can pass out of the breech (2) back towards the hopper (4). If the marker is fired while the paintball (1) is not resting on the bottom of the breech (2), xe2x80x9cchoppingxe2x80x9d of the paintball (1) can result whereby the bolt (not shown in FIG. 1) splits the paintball (1) because it cannot be propelled along the breech (2). Chopped paintballs can foul the marker""s firing mechanism leading to impaired performance and even possibly jamming of the marker. Importantly for paintball players, if no paintballs are present in the breech, due to the marker being tilted or jolted or for any other reason, the marker will not fire which can seriously affect the player""s game.
A hopper exists, as shown in FIG. 2, that employs a beam strain gauge (5) the main purpose of which is to count paintballs as they are used. The strain gauge (5) is secondarily used in an attempt to allow only one way flow of paintballs. This arrangement does however suffer from the problem that it does not allow a paintball (1) to fall freely under its own weight. A stack of paintballs (1) must weigh down on the beam strain gauge (5) in order to allow a paintball (1) to pass from the hopper (4) into the breech (2). This can result in the last few paintballs (1) in a hopper (4) not being used. Additionally, due to a lack of rigidity of the strain gauge (5) in the return direction the strain gauge""s return prevention is poor. Thus this arrangement is poor at retaining the paintballs (1) in the breech (2). This allows the movement of the paintballs out of the breech (2) and consequently the possibility of chopping the paintballs (1).
Thus existing marker feed systems have the problem that chopping can occur due to the paintballs in a feed tube being able to jiggle in the free space in the feed tube and present a fraction of themselves to the marker""s bolt.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a paintball feed system for a paintball marker, the system comprising means defining a feed channel through which paintballs can pass into the marker, flexible detent means arranged to deflect to allow paintballs to pass in a first direction through the channel into the marker, and being further arranged to prevent the passage of the paintballs in a second direction through the channel out of the marker.
Preferably the system comprises support means which define first and second support points from which the detent means is arranged to flex in the first and second directions respectively. More preferably the detent means has a free end and the second support point is closer to the free end than the first support point.
The detent means preferably comprises a flexible beam, which preferably has a cross-sectional area which varies along its length. The beam may have a base and a free end and the cross sectional area may increase towards the free end. Preferably the beam has a narrow portion towards the base and a broad head portion towards the free end.
Preferably the detent means is arranged to be spaced from a floor of a breech of the paintball marker and the feed channel is arranged to receive a plurality of paintballs including an uppermost paintball which is in contact with the detent means and a lowermost paintball which is in contact with the floor of the breech whereby vertical movement of the paintballs between the detent means and the floor is inhibited. Preferably the detent means is arranged to allow a paintball to pass in the first direction under its own weight. This helps to ensure that all available paintballs are used up.
The detent means preferably comprises a plurality of flexible beams, for example three flexible beams, which are spaced around the feed channel. This can help to centre the paintball in the feed channel. The flexible beams preferably extend radially inwards towards the centre of the feed channel, and can conveniently be formed as part of an annular shim from which they project radially inwards.
Preferably the feed system further comprises adjustment means arranged to allow adjustment of the distance between the detent means and a floor of a breech of the marker. This allows the system to be adjusted for example to correct for different sizes of paintball.
The present invention further provides a paintball marker including a paintball feed system, the feed system comprising means defining a feed channel through which paintballs can pass into the marker, flexible detent means arranged to deflect to allow paintballs to pass in a first direction through the channel into the marker, and being further arranged to prevent the passage of the paintballs in a second direction through the channel out of the marker.
The present invention further comprises a paintball marker and hopper assembly including a paintball feed system, the feed system comprising means defining a feed channel through which paintballs can pass from the hopper into the marker, flexible detent means arranged to deflect to allow paintballs to pass in a first direction through the channel from the hopper into the marker, and being further arranged to prevent the passage of the paintballs in a second direction through the channel out of the marker towards the hopper.
The present invention still further provides an adapter for connecting a paintball marker to a paintball storage device wherein the adapter includes a feed system according to the invention. The adapter may be arranged to be movable relative to at least one of the marker and the storage device in order to vary the distance between the detent means and a floor of a breech of the marker.
The present invention yet further provides a paintball feed system for a paintball marker, the system comprising a feed channel through which paintballs can pass into the marker, a flexible detent arranged to deflect to allow paintballs to pass in a first direction through the channel into the marker, and being further arranged to prevent the passage of the paintballs in a second direction through the channel out of the marker.
The present invention further provides a paintball marker feed tube assembly arranged to be mounted in a paintball marker and to support a paintball hopper having a neck, the assembly comprising a compressible member defining an aperture into which the neck can be inserted and a compression member arranged to compress the compressible member by an amount which is variable thereby to vary the size of the aperture.
The compressible member may be one of a plurality of compressible members arranged to co-operate to support the neck. For example each of the compressible members may comprise a ring of resilient material.
The assembly preferably further comprises a flexible detent arranged to deflect to allow paintballs to pass in a first direction through the assembly into the marker, and being further arranged to prevent the passage of the paintballs in a second direction through the assembly out of the marker, and a retaining member arranged to retain the detent in the assembly, wherein the compressible member rests on the retaining member.